Personally I just hate parking, never seems to be enough room, and getting the shopping into the boot is hell.
![https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-y1Du3iKpRSA/VDSWxczME0I/AAAAAAAAAek/LZMlzmjrDb8/s640/05-09-09%20Home%20001.jpg[/CENTER]](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-y1Du3iKpRSA/VDSWxczME0I/AAAAAAAAAek/LZMlzmjrDb8/s640/05-09-09%2520Home%2520001.jpg%5B/CENTER%5D){kind=link}
We had a Toyota Hilux when we lived in Kenya, I hated it, it was like driving a double decker bus (not that IĀ“ve ever driven a double decker bus), but this kind of vehicle was a necessity there not a luxury. Our current car is a, now quite elderly, Mazda Premacy, itĀ“s been, still is, trouble free and hopefully will stay that way for quite some time yet. We needed a car with plenty of room in order to get the dog cage in the back without taking up the back seats, it is diesel, we havenĀ“t had petrol cars since, well I canĀ“t remember when.
Iāve got a four year old VW Golf TSI station wagon. Quite nippy and I love the amount of stuff I can carry in it. Itās comfy and easy to drive with most of the usual refinements like parking sensors, sat nav/dvd player, together with heated seats and leather upholstery. The only thing I find it a bit difficult to manage in snow and somebody told me it was because of the engine being high torque (whatever that means).
I drive a Ford Fiesta Ghia automatic which suits me fine apart from the leather seats are hot in summer and cold in winter, and the mpg is rubbish. When all is said and done, itās a tin box on four wheels, but it gets me where I want to go.
Until recently i had a Rover 45 impression s ā¦but i now have a 2005 Ford Mondeo Ghia 2lt TDCI ā¦I am still playing with it so so far i have found nothing wrong ā¦lolā¦
I love these car threads!
Iāve never, ever been in the position to buy a new car, pick out the trim level, the colour and so on - must be quite fun.
My car buying is simple - I have X-amount to spend so my market is whatās available.
When my 1997 Astra started rusting to bits I was stuck so I went online, looked around, saw a car I could afford that looked OK and reviews online were not too bad and I bought it - thatās it.
Itās a 2002 Fiat Punto 5-door hatchback, itās silver, itās petrol-driven, it runs very well, itās very quiet, itās also great fun to drive, it only has front electric windows, it doesnāt have remote locking or a fancy alarm and I average around 52mpg urban cycle - a lot more on a long run.
We dubbed it Pedro for some odd reason and - touch wood - itās never let us down so far - 4 years now - but it has had little things go that cost a flippinā fortune to fix becaise Fiat spares are disgracefully expensive so, much as I love my little Punto, I probably wonāt be keeping it much beyond 2016 when Iāll go out for my next car after looking online!
Mind you, I may go for something a bit newer the next time. stevmk2
I have a little Toyota Yaris, itās comfy & just the right size, quite old but goes on and on with very little trouble, I call it Pixie and Iād swear that when it sees me it wags itās tail! If it ever conks out I wonāt replace it, just catch the bus. My old Suzuki Vitara 4x4 was a good little car until someone ran into it I missed it like mad when it went to the big scrapyard in the sky.
What are our likes and dislikes, you askā¦
Well, I very much like American āmuscle carsā, both old and new! As an example, Iāve wanted a Dodge Challenger since I was 17 yrs. old, back in the mid 1970s, and in recent years that company came out with a very good version all over again.
In my case, what I drive isnāt a case of what I like or dislike, itās what I was left with in the divorce back in 2010!
I drive a 1994 Chevy Silverado extended cab. What I like about it: the miles-per-gallon could be worse; in a pinch it holds up to 3 passengers; if I happened to see a piece of furniture at a garage sale I could bring it home myself; itās a simple vehicle that mechanics can repair pretty easily & quickly. What I donāt like: the miles-per-gallon could be betterāI very rarely leave my small town, due to the expense; thereās no place to put valuables or cargo completely out of sight when I park & leave it in a public place; it doesnāt have 4 wheel drive (for winter or for emergencies); itās nearly 21 yrs. old. Andā¦I feel obligated to offer to help a certain close relative when she moves again because Iām the only person in her life who has a pickup truck (albeit a short-bed). 
My car is a Ford Focus ST3. I bought new in 2007 and has just 27000 on the clock.
Itās effortlessly fast, a fantastic long distance cruiser, superb steering feel through the wheel, weight transfer in the corners is excellent and can take A and B roads at insane speeds. It has full leather, heated seats and screen, climate, 6 CD player etc. Only downsides are that it only does 27mpg and cost Ā£285 a year in road tax
It is my baby; probably the most important thing in my life. I canāt fit it in the garage of my new house, so Iāll probably have to move again.
I think you get the picture and so here it isā¦
Our CRV is 20 years old end of this month, love it, itās got the split boot opening so we can open the top window get the leads on the girls and then open the bottom for them to get out, no uncontrolled leaping out as the boot opens.
Shopping fits nicely on back seat in a box on one side and Grace has a booster seat behind the passenger seat.
Only dislikes is the radio is stuck in the on position so we have radio 1 or 4 no whether we want them or not.
Sunroof no longer works but at least now itās stuck closed and not half open like it was originally stuck.
Had to buy 4 new tyres this year so we are good to go for a good few more miles hopefully.
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A Honda Jazz is my car of choice these days, I have no need of a large car now. I have had about eight of them so far, and will continue to buy them for the foreseeable future.
Suzuki Alto [wee Daisy] Free road tax
Would have a coach size motorhome if I could as I am a retired bus driver
[quote=āBoyRacer, post: 553832ā]
My car is a Ford Focus ST3. I bought new in 2007 and has just 27000 on the clock.
Itās effortlessly fast, a fantastic long distance cruiser, superb steering feel through the wheel, weight transfer in the corners is excellent and can take A and B roads at insane speeds. It has full leather, heated seats and screen, climate, 6 CD player etc. Only downsides are that it only does 27mpg and cost Ā£285 a year in road tax
It is my baby; probably the most important thing in my life. I canāt fit it in the garage of my new house, so Iāll probably have to move again.
I think you get the picture and so here it isā¦QUOTE)
The wife is a bit obsessive about her car, she has a Saab Turbo Convertible, it is a 2007 and has only 36000 on the clock. When Saab went bust, luckily the supplying dealer set up as a Saab Service Agent so we were able to keep the continuity of Service History going, she usually only uses it on a Saturday for shopping with the MIL, then on Sunday she washes and polishes it.
'Fraid Iām one of those people that cant manage with just one car. A lot of that has to do with the way I live.
In a typical year, I will make a minimum of 6 continental trips. For those, I use a Hemi engined Dodge SUV. Its fast, especially so now the speed limiter has been removed. Its the most quiet car I have ever owned. Comfort is outstanding, and carries a huge load.
Weekdays will find me in a B Series Mazda. The insurgents favourite vehicle, as seen on BBC News, usually with an RPG launcher on the back! Maybe Iāll fit one of those to it, Iām lead to understand that makes it a congestion charge free vehicleā¦ That leads a hard life, as normally its got something or other on the back to do with one of my various house, garden or car projects. Iām currently restoring a musclecar.
Other times - mostly weekends - will see me driving about in a Honda CR-V. Thats going soon, because I find its steering on motorways is horrid.
Classic 
[quote=āFender Bender, post: 554627ā]
'Fraid Iām one of those people that cant manage with just one car. A lot of that has to do with the way I live.
In a typical year, I will make a minimum of 6 continental trips. For those, I use a Hemi engined Dodge SUV. Its fast, especially so now the speed limiter has been removed. Its the most quiet car I have ever owned. Comfort is outstanding, and carries a huge load.
Weekdays will find me in a B Series Mazda. The insurgents favourite vehicle, as seen on BBC News, usually with an RPG launcher on the back! Maybe Iāll fit one of those to it, Iām lead to understand that makes it a congestion charge free vehicleā¦ That leads a hard life, as normally its got something or other on the back to do with one of my various house, garden or car projects. Iām currently restoring a musclecar.
Other times - mostly weekends - will see me driving about in a Honda CR-V. Thats going soon, because I find its steering on motorways is horrid.[/QUOTE]
Wonder why that is ours is very good on all roads.
Havenāt a clue, its been like that since new. Only has 15k on it now. Even the Honda dealer couldnāt find anything wrong - nor could I!
Perhaps you need an old one like ours, the newer ones donāt seem as sturdy to us.
You might be right there. On the other hand, Iām getting more and more certain as time goes by that the same is true of the majority of newer cars.
I would expect that a lot would disagree, but it seems to me that quality is taking a downward turn at present, much like it did with cars in the late 60ās/early 70ās. Then, in later years, it rose again. And so the cycle seems to be repeating.
Think you could be right there, when we replace ours we will be looking at another oldie, they do seem to be made better.